Changed
by imnotgoodwithusernames1234
Summary: Josh can't help but think that his friend Percy had changed since freshman year. A mortal's perspective on Percy before and after his disappearance.
1. Josh

Josh's POV

My friend Percy is strange. I know what you're thinking, but I'm serious. Maybe you even think I'm strange, but that's because you haven't met him.

In freshman year, he was normal enough besides being ADHD and dyslexic. We were good friends. Then came sophomore year.

The first weird thing that year was the disappearance of Rachel. Percy told us her parents shipped her off to some rich girl boarding school, but it was strange only he knew that.

Besides that, things were normal enough. Holiday break snuck up on us so quickly. Percy was crazy excited.

"What are you doing over the break that's so amazing?" Our friend Matt asked him.

"I'm going back to camp." He said.

He spoke about this camp a lot.

"Wouldn't it be closed this time of year?" I asked.

"Uh… um…" He stammered. "They open up for holiday break."

I raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Holiday break was fun, but the first day back was pure horror. Matt and I spent homeroom ogling over his new phone.

Our schedules don't change all year, so we had Mrs. White's science class first.

"It'll be good to see Percy again." I said to Matt, leaving homeroom.

Percy wasn't in science though.

"Probably slept in again." Matt said.

I agreed. It wouldn't be unusual.

At lunch we looked for him again, but he was still nowhere to be found.

"Probably sick." I said.

"Why don't we ask Mr. Blofis?" Matt said.

Matt and I had English last. We rushed out of shop class with Mr. Bell and to English.

"Hello, Matt." Mr. Blofis said as we ran in. "Hello, Josh."

"Where's Percy, today?" Matt asked.

Mr. Blofis's turned pale.

"He… uh…" Our English teacher stuttered. "I'm not sure."

"Aren't you his stepdad?" I asked.

"Yes." Mr. Blofis said.

"Then why don't you know?"

"He went missing. He went to camp and never came back." Mr. Blofis said sadly.

English class was horrible without Percy's jokes.

I didn't see Percy Jackson again until junior year.

It was in homeroom with Dr. Boring. (Yes that is his real name.) He sat in the back row with a hood over his face, but I'd recognize him anywhere.

"PERCY!" I yelled.

He lifted his hood and smiled at me and Matt. "Hey, Josh. Hey, Matt."

"Hey?" Matt asked. "You're gone for a year, and all we get is hey?"

Percy's face darkened.

"Aren't you at least going to tell us, where you were?" Matt continued.

"No," Percy said. "I'd rather not."

"Why?" Matt yelled.

Percy was paler, now. He looked even fitter than he had the year before. He looked afraid.

"Percy?" I asked softly. "Are you all right?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine."

He clearly wasn't.

The next oddity of Percy was waiting for the bus.

Amber Perkins was the hottest girl in school. Boys would dump any girl for her. And unlike most girls, she was actually nice. Unless, that is, you get her mad.

So anyway, Percy and I were waiting for the bus. Matt had walked home like I normally did, but today I was going to help Percy with homework at his house.

We were just sitting on one of the benches when Amber walked up.

"Hey, guys." She said.

"Hi, Amber." Percy said nicely.

"Hi, Percy, other guy." Amber said.

"It's Matt." I pointed out.

"Whatever." Amber said. "So, Percy. I was wondering if you wanted to go out, Friday night."

"Sorry Amber." Percy said sincerely. "I have a girlfriend."

Amber opened her mouth and closed it before stomping away.

"What did you lie for?" I asked.

He frowned. "What? I really do have a girlfriend."

"So?" I asked. "Amber is hot. She's worth ten of any girl."

Percy frowned deeper. "Not any girl."

The next week at Swim Team tryouts, I was confused. Percy, who had stared on the team all freshman year and the part of sophomore year he went to, wasn't trying out.

"Why?" I asked him.

"I… I just don't want to." He said.

He sat on the bleachers cheering me on.

"Jackson." The coach said. "You forgot to put your name on the list."

"I'm not trying out, Coach Winders." He said. "Just here to cheer Josh on."

The coach's mouth fell open. "But Jackson, you're our star swimmer."

He shook his head. "I was your star swimmer."

Four days after tryouts, (Yes, I made the team.) at our lockers was strange.

Percy and I had adjourning lockers. It was cool. Anyway, Andrea Jones walked right up to us. She was nice enough and the second hottest girl in school.

"Hey, Percy." She said. "I was wondering if you were coming to my party, Friday. You can bring your friend here." She pointed at me.

"Uh… probably not. I mean…"

"Of course we'll be there." I said cutting him off.

"Great!" Andrea smiled and walked away.

"What was that for?" Percy yelled at me.

"Dude, A, hot girl invited us to party, B, you need a social life." I said.

"I'm not going." He said.

"You're going if I have to drag you." I said.

Andrea's party was alright, until we started truth or dare.

Out of the fifty people there, only ten of us wanted to play. And Percy who I forced to play.

"Alright," He finally agreed. "But I'm not kissing anyone."

"Percy will play if no one makes him kiss anyone." I announced to the group.

Everyone except Andrea and Amber, (Who wanted to kiss him.) were fine with that.

"You first." Andrea told me.

"All right." I said. "Dare."

She smiled. "I dare you to kiss, Lea."

Lea giggled.

Everyone knew I had a crush one Lea, even her.

"Okay." I said and kissed her.

There was a lot of cheering.

"Percy's turn!" Amber screeched.

"Uh… dare." He said.

Amber smiled. "I dare you to take off your shirt."

Percy face turned pale. "Did… did I say dare? I meant truth."

"Too late." Amber said. "Do it."

"Oh, come on." I said and stood up.

I pulled his tee-shirt right off of him.

I understood instantly why he had wanted to keep it on.

His body was littered with scars. Some were small, like he had fallen down. Other looked like he had been attacked with a knife.

"Percy?" I asked. "Where did you get those?"

He pulled his shirt out of my hands, put it on, and stormed out the door.

"Percy!" I ran after him.

I found him on the doorstep crying.

"Percy." I said softly. "What happened?"

"Do you get why I quit swim?" He asked. "Why I don't come to parties?"

"No." I said. "All I know is that you have scars."

"Of course." He said. "Sometimes I forget, mortal don't understand."

"What did you call me?" I asked.

He stood up and ran off.

I've said this before and I'll say it again. My friend Percy is strange.


	2. Katie Gardener

**(A/N This one is ten times shorter, but I wasn't sure how to extend it at all. Here's Katie Gardener.)**

Katie 

December 15th, 2009

I never knew Percy Jackson that well. He was the Savior of Olympus, he completed a bunch of heroic quests, but I never really knew him personally.

The one real memory I have of Percy is during a game of Capture the Flag.

"Katie," He said. "I need you to take your cabin and distract the guards."

"Wouldn't you rather the Apollo cabin did that?" I asked. "They can bother them from afar."

"Trust me," He said. "You guys can do it."

He was right. We won that game. Percy was a friend to everyone, even those who didn't know him well.

I've been saying he was all these things because he's missing. And he has been for two days.

Annabeth, his girlfriend is frantic. She's looked everywhere for him. She has everyone searching for him. She's sure we'll find him.

The rest of us aren't so sure. For all we know he could be dead. No one has said that to Annabeth though.

December 16th, 2009

Annabeth went to the Great Canyon today, on a lead that she thought could find Percy. He wasn't there though.

She found three demigods. A Daughter of Aphrodite, a Son of Hephaestus, and strangest of all a Son of Zeus. They are all around fifteen and should have been already claimed.

Does this have something to do with the gods withdrawing to Olympus?

December 17th, 2009

All three of the new demigods are leaving on a quest today to free Hera. Annabeth's leaving to search for Percy.

I don't know about everyone else, but I'm feeling useless.

Katie closed the diary. It was funny that all she thought about these days was Percy and Annabeth. She barely knew either of them.

"Katie," Her sister, Miranda called. "Time for breakfast."

"Coming," She said.

Eight months later, it was all over. The war had ended. Percy was home, along with all the others.

He seemed different though. Everyone said he and Annabeth had been through Tartarus, but she didn't fully believe it until she saw them.

Everyone wanted to say hello. To give him a hug. To see him again.

"Percy," She said, not sure what else to say.

"Hey Katie," He said. "How are the plants?"

Percy and Annabeth never seemed quite the same after that, but who was I to say that. I never knew Percy Jackson that well in the first place.


End file.
